title: Aberrant distribution patterns of corneodesmosomal components of tape-stripped corneocytes in atopic dermatitis and related skin conditions (ichthyosis vulgaris, Netherton syndrome and peeling skin syndrome type B).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atopic dermatitis (AD), Netherton syndrome (NS) and peeling skin syndrome type B (PSS) may show some clinical phenotypic overlap. Corneodesmosomes are crucial for maintaining stratum corneum integrity and the components' localization can be visualized by immunostaining tape-stripped corneocytes. In normal skin, they are detected at the cell periphery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether AD, NS, PSS and ichthyosis vulgaris (IV) have differences in the corneodesmosomal components' distribution and corneocytes surface areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneocytes were tape-stripped from a control group (n=12) and a disease group (37 AD cases, 3 IV cases, 4 NS cases, and 3 PSS cases), and analyzed with immunofluorescent microscopy. The distribution patterns of corneodesmosomal components: desmoglein 1, corneodesmosin, and desmocollin 1 were classified into four types: peripheral, sparse diffuse, dense diffuse and partial diffuse. Corneocyte surface areas were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The corneodesmosome staining patterns were abnormal in the disease group. Other than in the 3 PSS cases, all three components showed similar patterns in each category. In lesional AD skin, the dense diffuse pattern was prominent. A high rate of the partial diffuse pattern, loss of linear cell-cell contacts, and irregular stripping manners were unique to NS. Only in PSS was corneodesmosin staining virtually absent. The corneocyte surface areas correlated significantly with the rate of combined sparse and dense diffuse patterns of desmoglein 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method may be used to assess abnormally differentiated corneocytes in AD and other diseases tested. In PSS samples, tape stripping analysis may serve as a non-invasive diagnostic test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan. Electronic address: igasato@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igawa
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kishibe
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Masamoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seishima
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohguchi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishida-Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iizuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051187:Desmocollins / Q000378:metabolism; D051183:Desmoglein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016112:Ichthyosis Vulgaris / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D056770:Netherton Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012873:Skin Diseases, Genetic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C109656:CDSN protein, human; C081560:DSC1 protein, human; C495297:DSG1 protein, human; D051187:Desmocollins; D051183:Desmoglein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Corneodesmosome; Ichthyosis; Netherton syndrome; Peeling skin syndrome; Skin barrier